The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Secondhand ‘Stolen Valor’? Lying Joe Invents Purple Heart Story About Uncle

Posted on | December 18, 2022 | 2 Comments

Very early in the 2020 presidential campaign season, I called attention to Joe Biden’s habit of saying that he gave “my word as a Biden” in vouching for the truth of whatever he was saying. It seems Joe believes (or at least wishes his audience to believe) that not only is he trustworthy, but that the Biden family in general has a well-established reputation for honesty.

Of course, Joe Biden is an infamous bullsh*t artist, a braggart who habitually exaggerates his own accomplishments or just makes up “facts” that turn out to be false, as was the case Friday:

But I want to tell you, it is — it is — it doesn’t go noticed enough, how many of you who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and all through these last wars we’ve had — how many mothers and wives and sons and daughters sat at that empty birthday — saw that — an empty chair at the birthday party.
And the difference is a lot of you of my — my generation, on — after — on December 7th that we celebrated the bravery of all the — those who showed up. On the Finnegan side of the family, four brothers. Every single one volunteered the very next day, on Monday, to join. My uncle, Frank Biden, joined. My father was working in the shipyards.
The fact of the matter is that, you know, it wasn’t a second thought. They just showed up. And there’s a generation, represented by you, Ray, that doesn’t look for accolades.
You know, I — my dad, when I got elected Vice President, he said, “Joey, Uncle Frank fought in the Battle of the Bulge.” He was not feeling very well now — not because of the Battle of the Bulge. But he said, “And he won the Purple Heart. And he never received it. He never — he never got it. Do you think you could help him get it? We’ll surprise him.”
So we got him the Purple Heart. He had won it in the Battle of the Bulge. And I remember he came over to the house, and I came out, and he said, “Present it to him, okay?” We had the family there.
I said, “Uncle Frank, you won this. And I want to…” He said, “I don’t want the damn thing.” (Laughter.) No, I’m serious. He said, “I don’t want it.” I said, “What’s the matter, Uncle Frank? You earned it.” He said, “Yeah, but the others died. The others died. I lived. I don’t want it.”

Is any part of this story about Uncle Frank true? Some of it is certainly false, as the New York Post reported:

Biden’s father, Joseph R. Biden Sr., died in September 2002 — more than six years before his son was elected vice president. Frank Biden, Joe Sr.’s brother, died in 1999.

We know for a fact, then, that this claim that Joe helped his uncle receive the Purple Heart after he became vice president is false.  There was no presentation to Uncle Frank where “we had the family there,” no request from his father, etc., at least not during Biden’s vice-presidency, by which time both Biden’s father and uncle were dead. What we don’t know is whether the story about Uncle Frank being wounded (during the Battle of the Bulge or any other time) is true. Frank Biden indeed served as a sergeant in the Army during World War II, but the Post could find no record of him being awarded the Purple Heart, nor is there any record of Joe Biden telling this story about his Uncle Frank before.

And by the way, to say somebody “won the Purple Heart” is just wrong, because being wounded in combat is no one’s definition of “winning.”



 

Category: Joe Biden

Comments

2 Responses to “Secondhand ‘Stolen Valor’? Lying Joe Invents Purple Heart Story About Uncle”

  1. President Mumbles keeps making history - The DaleyGator
    December 18th, 2022 @ 6:14 pm

    […] making history, I mean, of course lying about history. The Other McCain plays the Stolen Valor […]

  2. Animal’s Hump Day News | Animal Magnetism
    December 21st, 2022 @ 10:26 am

    […] Now they’re photoshopping old Joe.  Also, old Joe indulges in a little stolen valor. […]